Friday, May 19, 2017

[Botany • 2017] A Revision and Recircumscription of Begonia Section Pilderia including One New Species, Begonia tepuiensis

Novel phylogenetic data is used to show that the poorly-known species Begonia glandulifera and Begonia mariannensis form a clade with Begonia buddleiifolia, the type species of Begonia section Pilderia. A unique combination of characters is identified in this group and used to re-circumscribe the section to include these species, and two morphologically similar species: Begonia jenmanii, and Begonia humilliana. A new species is described herein as Begonia tepuiensis sp. nov. from a single tepui in the Amazonas State of Venezuela. A full taxonomic revision and key to the species of Begonia section Pilderia is presented and we assign all species to IUCN Red List categories.

Etymology:— The genus Begonia is relatively poorly known from the tepuis of northern Amazonia. We name
this species B. tepuiensis as it is only the third Begonia species described exclusively from tepuis after B. steyermarkii
L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub and B. nubicola L.B.Sm. & B.G.Schub.